The Circus Is Leaving Town… For Good

According to NBC News, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is saying goodbye after nearly 150 years of entertaining audiences across the country. Tickets sold out for Sunday’s final performance of “The Greatest Show on Earth” in New York.

Ringmaster Johnathan Lee Iverson led the crowd through one last rendition of “Auld Lang Syne,” a tradition at the end of circuses.

“It has been the honor of my life to be the voice of these tremendous artists,” he stated.

Other performers sang along and embraced each other as the show came to a close.

It was announced several months ago by Feld Entertainment, the circus’ parent company, that declining ticket sales played a part in the decision to end the show. Public attitudes played a part too. After featuring elephants for decades, Ringling Bros. was forced to end the tradition a year ago by pressure from animal rights groups.

Circus enthusiasts said the final show was historic and bittersweet. One fan, Kurt Spence, is a member of Circus Fans Association of America. He traveled from Pennsylvania to say goodbye to the circus he had loved since he was a small boy.

Advertisement - story continues below

“I was 9 years old when my grandfather took me to ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’ under a tent just days before it closed in Pittsburgh, and that was 61 years ago,” he said.

CFA President Gary Payne became emotional before the final show. He said that the Ringling Bros. circus “cannot be replaced.”

Also attending the finale was Joel Davis, who worked in the props department and as an electrician for Ringling Bros. 30 years ago. He came from Los Angles for Sunday night’s performance.

“Once you get this in your system, it does not leave you,” he said. “It’s going to be there until the day you leave the Earth.”

However not everyone was sad to see the show folds its famous top. Activists said the show’s closing represented a “hard-fought victory” for animal rights. Several protesters dressed up as lions and tigers while holding signs.

John Di Leonardo, a campaigner for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said, “This is a tremendous victory, and it’s been hard-fought, but there are still a lot of other circuses using animals, so we’re here not just to celebrate, but to also send a message to the other circuses that if they don’t evolve, they’re going to be next.”

Please share this on Twitter and Facebook and let us know what you remember most about going to the circus.

What are your thoughts on Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus shutting down?Scroll down to comment below!